Thomas Bryant became the first IU basketball player taken in the second round of the NBA draft in 12 years on Thursday night, when he was plucked by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant becomes the second former Hoosier taken in this year's draft, going No. 42 overall. OG Anunoby was selected No. 23 overall by Toronto earlier Thursday.

In Bryant, the Lakers land a player at one time thought to be a first-round talent. Bryant enjoyed a strong freshman season at IU, starting on a Big Ten championship-winning squad and on scoring 70.7 percent of his 2-point attempts.

But Bryant's sophomore season saw him slide. He shot well from behind the 3-point line (38.3 percent) for his size, but failed to answer questions about his defense. His stock slid.

Still, the New York native also appeared to use this spring's pre-draft calendar to buoy that stock, turning heads in some workouts. The Lakers were among the teams that had Bryant in for in-person evaluations.

That offensive versatility, and a wingspan that stretches well past seven feet, will serve Bryant well at the next level.

"He can shoot it, does a good job of running the court. He is a really hard worker," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said. "His mobility on the perimeter is a little bit of an issue. Can he move laterally? But man, he worked really hard during his time at Indiana at trying to become a better player."

In Los Angeles, Bryant joins a franchise ostensibly on the rise. The Lakers took UCLA standout Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday's draft, and they have been repeatedly connected to Pacers star Paul George, a free agent after the upcoming season.

Bryant is the first Hoosier to go in the second round since Bracey Wright, in 2005.